Apparatus for unloading cars.



No. 678,634. Patented July l6, l90l.

w. BATCHELUR.

APPARATUS FOR UNLOADING CARS.

(Application filed Mar. 13, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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WATSON BATOHELOR,

OF NFHV YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR UNLOADlNG CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 678,634, dated July 16,1901.

Application filed March 13 1901.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WATSON BATOHELOR, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of New York, borough of lVlanhattan, in thecounty and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Apparatusfor Unloading Cars, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to an apparatus for unloading cars, and comprisesa cradle poised at its middle or approximately its middle and providedat one end with a weight, the parts being arranged so that when a loadedcar is run on the cradle the weight of the car will tilt the cradle,causing it to throw the car into an inclined position, whereupon theload of the car may be discharged through the end thereof, and then whenthe car is unloaded the weight at the end of the cradlewill assertitself to throw the cradle and car back to horizontal position.

The invention may be used in various connections, as will suggestthemselves to persons skilled in the art. It is particularly adaptableto unloading freight-cars into vessels, and by this means the cars maybe very rapidly and easily unloaded, so that the load will pass from thecars directly into the vessels without additional handling.

This specification is a specific description of one form of theinvention, while the claim is a definition of the actual scope thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both views.

Figure 1 is a side view of the invention, and Fig. 2 is a section on theline 2 2 of Fig. 1.

a and of represent the stationary track, which is laid on suitabletrestle-work b, elevating it in the customary manner. 0 indicates twocolumns or supports which carry rockably the trunnions d of the cradled. This cradle is provided with rails 61?, matching with the rails a,and a, so that the freightcar (indicated at e) maybe run from the railsto and a onto and off of the cradle 01, as desired. For holding the care on the cradle during the tilting operation I provide tie-rods d whichmay be of any desired construction and which are connected between thecar and the cradle, as shown. A sector-barfis attached to the end of thecradle, which is adapted to move downward, as shown in Fig. 1,

$erial No. 50,993. (No model.)

and this sector-bar runs through a suitable housing f on thetrestle-work (Z, on which housing is carried a hand-screw f or otherfastening device. By these devices the cradle may be locked in anyposition desired. The opposite end of the cradle d is provided with acounterweight g. (Best shown in Fig. 2. The counterweight g comprises anumber of blocks, preferably two, of iron, stone, or other weightymaterial, and these blocks are held by bolts g between the truss-beamsor girders forming the framing of the cradle d. Reference to Fig. 2 willshow that three of these girders are here illustrated. Obviously anynumber might be employed and arranged in parallelism, as shown, with thesections of the weight bolted to them.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: Assuming that the car isprovided with means at its end for discharging the load and that thecradle 61 lies in horizontal position, the car should be run onto thecradle from the track at the right-hand side thereof, and when the carreaches a point partly beyond the trunnions cl of the cradle the weightof the loaded car will cause the cradle to tilt into the position shownin the drawings. "The doors of the car may now be opened and the carwill dump its load. When the car is thus relieved of its load, thecounterweight Q will assert itself and the cradle cl will be thrown backto horizontal position. By operating the screw f the cradle may bereleased or fastened immovably at will.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- In an apparatus for unloading cars, the combinationwith a stationary track, of a cradle, a support on which the cradle ispivotally mounted intermediate its ends, weight-blocks fastened betweenthe beams of the cradle at one end thereof, a curved bar fastened to theopposite end of the cradle, a stationary guide in which said bar runs,and means for remov ably holding the bar rigid with the guide.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WATSON BATGIIELOR.

